Kaya, AhmetAlkan, AlpayToluk, OzlemIpar, OzlemPolat, Yagmur BasakYabul, Fatma CelikBalsak, Serdar2024-10-292024-10-2920230007-12851748-880Xhttps://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20220415https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11776/14525Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate whether white matter (WM) integrity is impaired in vitamin B12 and folate deficiency with Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) in older patients. Methods: All the patients aged & GE;65 years admitted to the geriatric clinic and performed DTI- MRI were included in the study. DTI parameters (fractional aniso-tropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, radial diffu-sivity) were calculated by ROI- based method in white matter tracts. Deficiency threshold for vitamin B12 were defined as <200 pg ml-1 and <400 pg ml-1 separately; and for folate as <3 ng ml-1 and <6 ng ml-1, separately.Results: DTI was performed to older patients having serum vitamin B12 level (n = 106, mean age = 80.7 & PLUSMN;7.7, 66% female) and folate level (n = 101, mean age = 80.7 & PLUSMN;7.5, 67.3% female). Significantly lower FA and higher MD and RD levels were observed in multiple WM areas including superior and middle cerebellar pedun-cles, cingulum and genu of corpus callosum in patients with vitamin B12 <400 pg ml-1 (p < 0.05). DTI indices also showed significant changes in the genu of corpus callosum, and right and left superior longitudinal fasciculus in patients with folate <6 ng ml-1(p < 0.05). Conclusions: Deficiencies of vitamin B12 and folate may be associated with impaired white matter integ-rity in elderly even at high laboratory levels, and DTI is a useful method to detect it. Advances in knowledge: Early detection of impaired WM integrity caused by micronutrient deficiencies poses a great significance in terms of prevention and intervention, and DTI is an effective non-invasive method to be used for this purpose.en10.1259/bjr.20220415info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessArticle961148Q3WOS:0010461071000082-s2.0-8516600104537335177Q2